The disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, more particularly, to the application of sacrificial plugs in a well system. Without limiting the scope of the disclosure, its background will be described with reference to producing fluid from a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation, as an example. During the production of hydrocarbons from a subterranean well, a route of fluid communication in a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation may be altered for various reasons. For example, one or more ports of a tubular member disposed within the wellbore may be bypassed to allow for a flowpath between the wellbore and the tubular member.
Other components of a well system may also be bypassed. For instance, a component that is subject to failure or reduction in efficiency, such as by clogging or other means, may be bypassed. For example, inflow control devices (ICDs), while beneficial for a period of time in balancing hydrocarbon production from a wellbore, limit the ability to reach a desired production rate once a significant amount of water or gas begins to be produced from the wellbore. Typical bypass mechanisms may require a physical intervention in the well in the form of a mechanical shifting component to open a bypass. These types of mechanisms and their associated methods can be expensive due to the time necessary to set up a workover rig and trip in and out of the wellbore with the shifting component.